(Discontinued) Wailing Stars & Broken Mirrors 星は泣いていて鏡は壊れている
by rapturemelancholia
Summary: Learning, accepting and forgiving were some of the things Terra hated the most, but from learning came knowledge, from accepting came compassion and from forgiving came love.
1. Prologue

Terra used to be quiet and observant. Her mind was louder than her voice, so to say. She never stayed too long at one place and was constantly on the move. It wasn't fear that made her who she was, but rather the thought of growing fond of places and people. People die… and places will change.

One starlit night, when Terra was but a child, something happened that changed her. The sky was dark and the air turned your breath to frost. Terra had been so captured by the glistening stars that she wasn't aware of how cold it had gotten. It wasn't until snow started to fall that she snapped out of her trance and quickened her pace to reach the next town.

Terra stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with surprise and fear. The town that was her destination was nothing but ash and embers. Burned corpses were scattered everywhere - on the road, inside the burned houses and some were simply turned to ashes. The smell of burning flesh was metallic, mixed with the smell of meat being roasted on an open fire and it made Terra want to vomit.

She took a small breath and started walking through the debris. _Maybe_.. She thought, _there could be survivors_ … "Hello?" She called out, but there came no answer from within the ruined homes.

Her skin was coated with sweat and dust - so much that it had turned her pale beige skin to a sickening grey hue. **There**. A small form was trapped under a log. Terra threw the log off, turning the small body around to its back. Terra covered her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from screaming. It was a little girl, no more than five years old. Her eyes were open wide, but only because her eyelids had been burned away. Her lips looked like they had been skinned and blood coated the surface of the flesh. Her little nose looked like it had been _melted_ and had left a big hole. Large dark burns covered her small frame. **She looked like a _melting_ _doll_**.

Terra fell to her knees, tears falling uncontrollably. She wailed loud and long - so long that rays of lights peaked over the horizon and cast a light over the still sobbing girl.

In that moment as she kneeled in front of the charred body of a girl she had never known, Terra had never felt more lonely. It was so strange and sorrowful, to miss something that you never knew.

 _When help arrived they only found one freshly dug grave, just the size of a small child._


	2. Chapter 1: Chained

**Chapter 1. Chained [Ανδρομεδη]**

 _Drip._

The woman watched the single raindrop fall from the leaf unto the muddy ground. Raising her head to the sky, she observed the dark clouds that moved slowly toward the west, casting a shadow over the dry forest ahead of her. She did not mind the rain at all, and smiled happily as she continued on.

 _Drip._

The moist scent of fresh rain and earth laid like a heavy fog inside the forest, enchanting it with nostalgia resembling a children's tale about a magic forest, filled with creatures you've never seen.

 _Drop._

Terra wore a proud smile as she came to a clearing in the middle of the forest. She never understood how no one else could see the world as she did. Her eyes catching every light and every shadow of the land, seeing things no one bothered to look for; grass glistening with gemstone dewdrops and small brooks with rippling water.

 _The soil of which you are born is not yours to take, but will always welcome you home with open arms._

Terra shook her head, sighing happily,. _Magnolia_ … It has been so long since she last came home. So long since she saw her friends _and_ … She scoffed at herself before she had even finished the thought and ran a hand through her dirty, auburn hair. With the festival coming up, this was no time to be worrying about such silly things.

As Magnolia came into view, Terra's spirit was lifted. The whole city always became so alive this time of year, with heaps of flowers in every corner. Everyone was smiling all the time, they were happy. The worries were gone for once. Well… except for the worry that the guild was going to destroy something, _again_.

With a backpack swung up on her back, Terra threw up the doors to Fairy Tail with the biggest grin, "Tadaima!"

Everyone raised their heads with even bigger grins than Terra. "Okaeri, Terra!" Voices boomed through the guild with everyone raising mugs, waving hello and asking about her missions.

This was the best time of the year, when she would come home for the festival and meet her family again. Some of them were annoying, she admits, but she loves them to the end.

Terra dropped down heavily on one of the bar stools. She let her chin rest on the palm of her hand as she propped her elbows up onto the shining bar counter. Raising her head to the white haired woman in front of her, she said, "Well, this place really got an upgrade, huh?" Her golden eyes traveled around the hall, studying the new guild. Apparently someone destroyed _the whole building_. "Oh, and Mira-" Terra stopped talking as a shadow hovered over her tiny form. Biting her lip, she turned around to face her former friend. Everyone now had their heads turned toward the bar, knowing how this would play out.

"So you're back now." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well yes, obviously." The words had left her lips before she realized it and it earned her an angry look from the superior lightning wizard. She didn't want to fight, but if he was going to continue acting immature about the whole ordeal, it didn't matter if she was nice or not.

He scoffed, arms crossed over his chest, "You should've been gone longer. It's been great not hearing your bitching."

Even though he was just grasping at straws, Terra shot up from her seat and growled like a rabid dog, "You shut your mouth Laxus." Her pupils narrowed like a feline's and she bared her teeth at him.

Laxus scoffed and crossed his arms. He was now aware of the attention the two of them had gotten and backed off. That didn't stop him from saying a last thing, "Goodbye, Terra." He waved to her over his shoulder, making Terra raise her brow.

With a sigh, she planted her face onto the counter. He was always thick headed, but lately he had been getting more angry. If you had asked her three years ago, she would've told you that Laxus was one of the best people she knew, but now... Everyone changes, she supposed.

Terra looked up to Mira with a weak smile and said quietly, "Maybe I shouldn't have come back after all."

Mira furrowed her brows pitying, "Don't say that... He's just a little angry right now. He just missed you, that's all."

If that was the case, it was Terra's fault that he was also acting out on everyone else.

With her head lowered, she walked toward the exit, her face sullen. Apologetic glances were traded between her and the members as she waved goodbye and started her walk home. She couldn't blame him. It had been years since they had spoken more than a quick hello, and for that he had all the right to be mad. Friends shouldn't abandon each other. Terra did, and now she saw the consequences. It wasn't a conscious choice to walk out like that, she just picked jobs and didn't bother to talk to her friends. Of course she felt bad about it, but there was nothing that could be done now. The only thing would be to try and make amends for her mistakes. Guilt wasn't a favored feeling.

Closing her eyes, Terra enjoyed the fiery sun that cast golden rays. _Maybe I could just say that he was right, that I am a whiny bitch, say I'm sorry_ … Knowing that it would obviously not work, Terra thought of other ways to prove that she was sorry.

Stopping in her tracks, Terra's eyes narrowed. A short, chestnut-haired girl was walking the opposite direction to the right of Terra. She was humming quietly and had her gaze to the ground. Terra tilted her head, _Is that...?_ A smile crept onto her face as she called out to the younger girl, "Aya? I didn't know you were back too!"

The sunburned girl snapped her head up, grinning as she saw her childhood friend, "I'm just staying for the festival. Same for you I guess?" Aya turned her gaze, her bright blue eye trying to focus on Terra. Aya had a hard time adjusting to only seeing with one eye and it turned out to be quite difficult. The clumsiness wasn't the worst thing, but it was the ones who kept staring at her. It had become a habit for her to keep her head down.

"Yeah, I wanted to see the festival for once." Terra gave her a cheeky smile. Tilting her head, she said, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine..." Aya bit her lip, "I only need to get this fixed." She pointed to her right eye. It was a glazed blue and had a nasty gash across it. Aya remained optimistic though, and was convinced that there was a way to fix it. "If only we had a wizard healer.." She laughed bleakly.

"Well.." Terra began, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Aya nodded, "Of course!" A smile spread across her face. A genuine, joyful smile.

It seemed not all of the earth wizard's friends were angry - and for that, she was grateful.


End file.
